Randall County Dream Team receives AgriLife Extension Superior Service Award

By KAY LEDBETTER AgriLife Today

Published 8:41 am, Saturday, January 11, 2014

The Randall County Dream Team Program has received the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Superior Service Award for Diversity.

The award was presented Wednesday during the agency’s Centennial Conference in College Station.

Recognized with the Randall County Dream Team Program were: Dr. J.D. Ragland, agriculture and natural resources agent; Leesa Wood Calvi, family and consumer sciences agent; Kim Peters, 4-H and youth development agent; and Shannon Walsh, program assistant for urban programs.

In 2009, the Randall County Judge approached AgriLife Extension agents Ragland and Calvi about starting a 4-H Club Program for at-risk youth who were being seen in the county’s Justice of the Peace courts.

A committee of middle school principals, counselors and curriculum directors, along with the two Randall County Justices of the Peace, joined the AgriLife Extension staff to become the Randall County 4-H Dream Team Leadership Advisory Committee.

The program’s goal for the youth selected is to obtain and maintain a 4-H swine project, attend training meetings teaching the six pillars of character, feed and care for the animal twice daily, seven days a week, for a four to five month period, and exhibit in the Randall County Junior Livestock Show.

Since the program’s inception, the Randall County Dream Team has awarded this unique opportunity to 17 at-risk youth. The total processed from livestock sales for youth was $12,000, and participant scholarship funds were $7,200.

“Most importantly, participants have raised school grades, advanced development in communication skills and have no repeat offenses through the Randall County juvenile court system,” the nomination stated.

Superior Service awards are presented to personnel who demonstrate outstanding performance or provide exceptional service to AgriLife Extension, an educational outreach agency of the Texas A&M University System.

Ragland also received the agency’s Superior Service Award for County Extension Agents and the Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence for County Agent. Ragland was cited in both awards for his well-rounded, creative and innovative educational programs.

Throughout his career, he’s demonstrated outstanding leadership in the areas of cotton, wheat, beef cattle and horticulture education and programming. He also excels in implementing strong 4-H leadership, livestock exhibiting and judging programs. He has received the National Association of County Agricultural Agents Achievement Award and the Texas 4-H Meritorious Awards.

While carrying on this phenomenal load of education programs, Ragland continued his own education, earning his doctorate degree utilizing the doc@distance program with Texas A&M University and Texas Tech University in 2013.

Ragland is known and respected for his work with the county’s producers through annual programs such as the Wheat Producers Meeting, Beef Producers Meeting and the County Ag Show and Crops Tour, as well as at specialized meetings such as the three-part Urban Rancher/Small-Acreage Short Course series or a Sheep and Goat Workshop.

His leadership was in high demand when two April 2013 late freezes caused significant damage to an estimated 40,000 acres of wheat across Randall County. In response to the potentially disastrous freezes, Ragland held an emergency wheat freeze update meeting on April 25. Local producers needed assistance in making quick management decisions. He personally assisted producers by analyzing individual plants. Additionally, he demonstrated the proper method in dissecting plants to determine if grain had been affected.

His nomination stated: “He is not only able to wear many hats, but wear them effectively. J.D. can communicate with all audiences in Randall County and that is why he is such a great county extension agent. The programs he conducts are having an impact in a variety of areas. Randall County ag producers know they can count on J.D. for information, especially when they need it fast.”

The nomination continued by saying 4-H members know they can count on Ragland to be there whenever they need him, even if that means him literally giving them the shirt off his back. And homeowners know Ragland is always willing to make a site visit to look at their garden, lawn or tree issues, and provide them with solutions to whatever problems they have.

The Vice Chancellor’s Awards in Excellence were established in 1980 to recognize the commitment and outstanding contributions of Texas A&M AgriLife faculty and staff throughout Texas and provide an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of those honored.